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Innocent Deer

Innocent Deer

Artwork by Shams Najafi

In one of the remote forests in Sudan, a group of animals lived in peace. The King of the jungle, the lion, controlled all the animals, from the small to the big. One day he was sitting under the tree alone and he heard the shooting sounds.

He said I am the lion, I am the King of the jungle, I must protect all the animals. He met all the animals and told them that there were shooting sounds. He sent each of them to investigate the source of the shooting.

The lion sent the Elephant to fetch water, and immediately the Elephant went running fast, and fear gripped him. The little deer DIK DIK tried to stop him on the way to ask him a question, and the little DIK said stop. Why are you rushing? What is going on here, Elephant?

The Elephant said there was a sound shooting everywhere. The King of the jungle sent me to fetch water, and I am afraid to die because of shooting everywhere, but I must go.

The little DIK DIK said what I have done? I’m weak and small, and I don’t know where to go. I’ll go tell the rest of the DIK DIK, they are sleeping, little DIK DIK said. He went to Say to other deer. He said see you later, Elephant. The Elephant went to fetch water to the lion.

The Elephant does not giving up try harder bring water to the lion. Finally, the elephant bring water. Lion was so thirsty, lion drank water until quenched from thirst. Lion said to the Elephant; now is the night, hide until morning. The elephant said OK King.

The next day in the morning, in a soft voice, the Lion said You animals gather here. I have an important matter. Sunset, all the animals gather, but the DIK DIK is delayed. Said the little DIK DIK, Why don’t you go, mom? My son, we are afraid the lion will eat us.

They do not know that the lion does not eat them. Still, the bullets of the planes destroyed the forest, the aircraft destroyed their area, and the father died. Hence, when the father died, the mother decided to take a little DIK DIK dear, and she went to the meeting, and the lion said to them, you have to leave the forest because it is not safe.

The mother DIK DIK said, my sons, I do not have the strength, I go somewhere else, run away from here, my son, run to afar place to live in safety.

The little deer DIK DIK ran away and his afflicted eyes he wants to cry loudest, but he can’t out of fear. Little deer didn’t look back again so that he wouldn’t see his mother crying and left his mother alone so far. Since then, he doesn’t know where she is.

The little DIK DIK has fled from the forests of Africa Sudan to the forests of Southeast Asia, where the beautiful nature and safety are. After a long and hard journey, the little DIK DIK arrived in the forests of Indonesia.

In January 2017 when the little DIK DIK arrived in the forests of Indonesia, he was small and did not know anything. While he was wandering in the forests of Indonesia found himself in the wild dog area.

When he saw wild dog he was very afraid. Wild dog said don’t afraid we will let you live in the woods in peace. The wild dog said if you like to live in peace in the forest of Indonesia, you must live under the wolf’s command, but you will be safe.

DIK DIK deer said Yes I would go. Wild dog sends the little DIK DIK to the wolf area. The DIK DIK is surprised by what he sees. DIK DIK deer sees that there is a group of Sika deer in a place he has never seen before. DIK DIK deer is shocked and says How does the wolf lead the deer?

He very tired from the far travel. He sat under the tree and slept, the following day he talked with the rest of the deer try knew what happening in the wolf area. One of the Sika deer sitting alone in a far place went to him and talked with him. Sika deer was very nice, Sika deer seems very sad.

When DIK DIK deer say hello, Sika deer try to share his problem, it seems he hasn’t spoken to anyone in along time. He said I’m alone. Another animal they don’t like me. He was so sad everyday he attempted to share his family problem. He don’t know where they are and other deer they don’t want him. He’s going to deep depression. Little DIK DIK deer he feel sad. He said don’t worries I will be your friend and we will become best friends.

The little DIK DIK deer and Sika deer while they was sitting and talking wolf came. Wolf said Why are you sitting here Sika deer and the little DIK DIK? Go from here do something the wolf said. But the wolf was not kind. The wolf said, what is this lack? I see it in the forest. The deer do not care about cleanliness. By scary and sad voice the Sika deer said we will do now, it never happened again. Wolf said I don’t like deers live here, and you deer get out of here. Help yourself, is that understandable?

Wolves continue to treat deer very badly. All these years they suffer from wolves until the forest becomes unsafe for all the deer, and wolves will treat very badly until 2018, which no deer would wish for. One night in 2018, one of the Sika deer was very sick. He asked the wolf to go to the doctor, but the wolf did not answer and did not hear him.

He went all night suffering from pain and could not breathe. Around the DIK DIK deer, DIK DIK deer try to help, he cannot help him, he cannot because he is small and does not know anything. The Sika deer is suffering and tired all night, but the wolves do not allow him to go to the hospital at five in the morning. The Sika deer died in front of the eyes of the DIK DIK deer. All the wolves met at six in the morning, they talked a lot, and took the Sika deer.

When deers saw the Sika deer dead in front of them, wolves took Sika deer, they could not be patient, all the deers in the Indonesian forest decided to solve all this injustice, but they did not know what they should were doing.

They are young from the forests of Sudan, and the forests of Asia. Deers went and told the wild dog the story of all that happened from the wolf. The wild dog said, Go to your area. I will found the solution. Do what I tell you without questions.

All the deers agreed to get rid of the wolf, so they returned to their area. When they returned to their place, they did not find the old wolves but found new wolves trying to talk to them beautifully to forget what happened to the Sika deer.

The DIK DIK asked where the Sika deer was. Who took him to where they took him? No one wanted to answer deer’s question.

Since that time deers didn’t know anything about Sika deer. He just went like many of the deers died before. Many deers will die if we do not find a solution for them in the Indonesian jungle from the wolf and the wild dog.


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